Find Free Mississippi Criminal & Arrest Records (Every MS County)

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Free Mississippi Arrest Records & Criminal Records Search

Access Mississippi Records: background checks, warrants, probation and parole, court records, and all criminal and arrest records.

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Find free Mississippi criminal records in every county now, or learn how to check various county agencies and record custodians by using the guidance throughout this resource.

Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, Mississippi arrest records and criminal history records are available to the public. However, finding the agency who manages these records and requesting them varies from county to county and can prove difficult.

This resource helps make this process quick and easy, whether someone is scouring Mississippi public records for personal purposes or needs to run a background check on someone for professional reasons such as employment, housing, licensing, etc.

By the end of this guide, readers will be empowered with the knowledge and resources necessary to check if someone is in jail or prison, has had run-ins with the law, is on probation, or even if they’re on the sex offender registry. Additionally, information on relevant laws, statutes, best practices, and more can be found within.

Accessibility of All Criminal & Arrest Records in Mississippi

Mississippi passed the Mississippi Public Records Act (Codes 25-61-1 through 25-61-17) in 1983, giving the citizens access to various MS public records, including criminal history information such as current arrests, charges, warrants, disposition and sentencing in cases.

This means that anyone can access arrest records in Mississippi or other criminal history data as long as it isn’t expressly prohibited by the state code.

There are some exceptions outlined in the Public Records Act making some matters confidential, meaning they will not appear on a background check, including the following:

• Records that are investigatory in nature when the case has not been tried in court
• Juvenile records
• Information that discloses the identity of witnesses, victims or confidential informants
• Any records that disclose medical or mental health conditions of persons listed in the record (such as wellness call police reports)
• Records that have been sealed by the courts or have been expunged pursuant to a court order¹

It’s also important to know what the person is getting when they receive a criminal history report, as well as the difference between criminal records and arrest records in Mississippi.

What Appears on Mississippi Criminal Records vs Arrest Records

While criminal and arrest records share similar features, they are vastly different reports with different uses, and searchers need to understand what is on each and how they can be used to make the best decisions.

Mississippi arrest records show the person was taken into custody by a law enforcement agency. These may show up on reports of daily arrests at a law enforcement agency and are considered public records.

An arrest record shows the date and time of the arrest, the charges filed against the person, a description of the subject, and where the person is being detained. It can also include a mugshot. Arrest records may also be limited to a small geographic area instead of statewide.²

Mississippi criminal records, on the other hand, contain all the information on the arrest record in addition to the disposition of those cases, as well as any other matters the person has been convicted of.

A criminal history will typically not include traffic offenses unless they rise to misdemeanor or felony status. That is the biggest difference between arrest and criminal records, and criminal records are preferred when making decisions about employment, housing or licensing an individual.²

How To Check Arrest Records in Mississippi (See if Someone Is in Jail & Why)

When attempting to figure out who’s in jail, the best place to start is with local Mississippi sheriff’s offices.

The sheriff’s office is typically the agency that oversees all jail operations in a county, housing inmates from both city and county arrests.

When searching for someone in jail, it’s also important to have enough information to narrow down the search. Some things that someone needs to know before starting a jail inmate search include the person’s name, age or date of birth, estimated time and date of the arrest, and the law enforcement agency where the person was arrested.

With this information, the searcher is more likely to locate a person who is in custody.

Perform a County Arrest Record Search by Utilizing the County Sheriffs’ Inmate Rosters & Contact Information

As stated earlier, the best place to view a mugshot or conduct an inmate lookup in Mississippi is through the local sheriff’s office.

For convenience, we have developed a table that provides a link to every Mississippi sheriff’s office, along with a phone number, and a column that alerts readers if mugshots are available:

Mississippi County Inmate Search Tool	Phone Number	Shows Mugshots?
Adams County Sheriff’s Office	601-442-2752	✓
Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office*	662-286-5521	X
Amite County Sheriff’s Office*	601-657-8057	X
Attala County Sheriff’s Office*	662-289-5556	X
Benton County Sheriff’s Office**	662-224-3062	X
Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office*	662-843-5378	X
Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office*	662-412-5000	X
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office*	662-237-9283	X
Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office**	662-456-2339	X
Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office**	662-285-6129	X
Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office*	601-437-5161	X
Clark County Sheriff’s Office**	601-776-5252	X
Clay County Sheriff’s Office	662-494-2896	✓
Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office*	662-624-3085	X
Copia County Sheriff’s Office*	601-894-2023	X
Covington County Sheriff’s Office*	601-765-8281	X
Desoto County Sheriff’s Office	662-469-8566	✓
Forrest County Sheriff’s Office	601-545-6148	✓
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office**	601-384-2323	X
George County Sheriff’s Office*	601-947-9156	X
Greene County Sheriff’s Office*	601-394-2341	X
Grenada County Sheriff’s Office*	662-226-6212	X
Hancock County Sheriff’s Office	228-466-6900	✓
Harrison County Sheriff’s Office	228-896-3000	✓
Hinds County Sheriff’s Office*	601-974-2945	X
Holmes County Sheriff’s Office*	662-834-1511	X
Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office**	662-247-2551	X
Issaquena County Sheriff’s Office**	662-873-2781	X
Itawamba County Sheriff’s Office**	662-862-3401	X
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office	228-769-3063	✓
Jasper County Sheriff’s Office	601-764-2588	✓
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office*	601-786-2284	X
Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Office*	601-792-5169	X
Jones County Sheriff’s Office	601-425-3147	✓
Kemper County Sheriff’s Office	601-743-2255	✓
Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office*	662-234-6421	X
Lamar County Sheriff’s Office	601-794-1088	X
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office*	601-482-9806	X
Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office**	601-587-2961	X
Leake County Sheriff’s Office*	601-267-7361	X
Lee County Sheriff’s Office	662-680-5766	X
Leflore County Sheriff’s Office**	662-459-4157	X
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office*	601-833-5231	X
Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office	662-328-6788	✓
Madison County Sheriff’s Office	601-855-0739	✓
Marion County Sheriff’s Office	601-736-5051	✓
Marshall County Sheriff’s Office*	662-252-1311	X
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office*	662-369-2468	X
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office*	662-283-3343	X
Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office*	601-656-1414	X
Newton County Sheriff’s Office*	601-635-2101	X
Noxubee County Sheriff’s Office**	662-726-5133	X
Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office	662-323-2421	X
Panola County Sheriff’s Office*	662-563-6230	X
Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office	601-403-2340	✓
Perry County Sheriff’s Office	601-964-8461	✓
Pike County Sheriff’s Office*	601-783-2323	X
Potomac County Sheriff’s Office**	662-489-3915	X
Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office*	662-728-2016	X
Quitman County Sheriff’s Office*	662-326-3131	X
Rankin County Sheriff’s Office*	601-825-1480	X
Scott County Sheriff’s Office	601-469-1511	✓
Sharkey County Sheriff’s Office*	662-873-4321	X
Simpson County Sheriff’s Office*	601-847-2921	X
Smith County Sheriff’s Office*	601-782-4531	X
Stone County Sheriff’s Office*	601-928-3191	X
Sunflower County Sheriff’s Office	662-887-2121	X
Tallahatchie County Sheriff’s Office**	662-647-3700	X
Tate County Sheriff’s Office*	662-562-4434	X
Tippah County Sheriff’s Office*	662-837-9336	X
Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office*	662-423-7000	X
Tunica County Sheriff’s Office	662-363-1411	✓
Union County Sheriff’s Office**	662-534-1943	X
Walthall County Sheriff’s Office	601-876-3481	✓
Warren County Sheriff’s Office*	601-636-1761	X
Washington County Sheriff’s Office*	662-334-4523	X
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office*	601-735-3801	X
Webster County Sheriff’s Office*	662-258-7701	X
Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office*	601-888-3511	x
Winston County Sheriff’s Office*	662-773-5881	X
Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Office*	662-473-2722	X
Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office*	662-746-5611	X

*The Sheriff’s Office does not have an online inmate directory
**The Sheriff’s Office does not have a functional website at this time

1. Google “Mississippi [county name] jail roster.”
2. Check the top search results for the official county sheriff’s office website and click that link. As an example, if someone wanted to find out if a person is in jail in DeSoto County they would type “Mississippi DeSoto jail roster” to reach The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office detention center.
3. Look for a heading labeled arrest report or inmate roster and click that link. In the example above, it would be the jail docket link, which directs the searcher to the vendor that handles the DeSoto County jail roster.
4. Enter the person’s name to start the search.
5. For common names, multiple records may appear, so it will be necessary to make sure the record matches the search subject.
6. If there is not an online directory of jail inmates, call the non-emergency number located on the sheriff’s department website.

City police departments have their own jails or holding facilities, and those that partner with the sheriff’s office for housing arrestees can provide information on where someone was transported. Using the same steps for searching a county sheriff’s office, replace the first steps with Googling “search for [name of city] Mississippi recent arrests.”

They can then see if there is a link for a city jail or call the non-emergency number to find out where an arrestee was transported for holding.

For example, the capital of Mississippi, Jackson, has its own municipal police department; however, people arrested within the city limits are transported to the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office to be detained awaiting trial. Someone can call the non-emergency number for the Jackson Police Department, 601-960-1217, to make sure an arrestee was taken to jail or released by the department.⁵

Another well-known city, Biloxi, Mississippi, has a non-emergency number 228-392-0641 that searchers can call to ask if a person is being housed at the Harrison County Jail or somewhere else.^{6, 7}

When a person is arrested by city police, the county jail maintained by the local sheriff is the best option for finding an inmate and what they were arrested for.

Ways To Contact Inmates in Mississippi Jails & Post Their Bail

The primary motivation for locating someone in a Mississippi jail is to maintain contact with the person and help get them released on bail, also called posting bond.

Using the table above, individuals can research the visitation and contact procedures for the jail where the person is being held, including how to find out next court dates for inmates and bonding procedures.

Many jails in Mississippi use a correctional telephone service such as Securus Technologies⁸ for voice interaction, and HomeWAV for video visitation.⁹ Links to set up video or voice contact are provided on some sheriff’s office websites. It is best to check with the jail before purchasing a product to find out that agency’s communications partner.

The sheriff’s office website may also contain a list of licensed bail bondsmen in that area to help with inmate pretrial release.

The Mississippi Department of Insurance also maintains a list of bail bondsmen who have had their licenses revoked, so before reaching out to one regarding posting a loved one’s bond.¹⁰ This will ensure that the person making the arrangements is legally authorized to do so and will not delay the inmate’s release.¹¹

Using the table above and the search steps outlined for locating an inmate, a person can also learn how to make contact with an arrestee, how to post bail, procedures for sending mail, and what items an inmate can have while incarcerated at the county lockup.

Some sheriff’s departments also provide a downloadable inmate handbook for families to know what items are permitted in the jail, how to post bail and the visitation schedule. The handbook may also include data about court procedures and how to see an inmate at their court hearing.

An arrest or charge starts the ball rolling for building a full criminal history, but it is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to someone’s background. A criminal history report is a more comprehensive look into a person’s background.

How To Search Mississippi Criminal History Records

After a person is arrested in Mississippi, a hearing before a judge will follow at some point in most cases. The court system plays a key role in building an overall criminal history. The Mississippi court is what establishes a disposition in a case including acquittal, dismissals, and convictions.

Below is information on how to access court records to find the information needed.

Check Criminal Records via Clerk of Courts in Each County (Mississippi)

Each county has a clerk of court who is responsible for maintaining all the civil and criminal court cases filed within that county. They maintain the records for accuracy, and many court records are considered public records.

A statewide search is also possible through the Mississippi Judiciary when someone wants to see if a person has been tried for a case in another county or has multiple offenses across the state. This is a free search but is not considered an official background report.

To search criminal records through the Mississippi court system, do the following:

1. Open the State of Mississippi Judiciary page.
2. At the top of the page is a search bar labeled general docket. Type the subject’s name into this and click the magnifying glass to start the search.
3. Review the list of cases that appear and find cases with the subject vs the State of Mississippi. Criminal cases will always be the state against the defendant, not the victim vs the defendant, because the state is charged with maintaining law and order in its borders.
4. Click on the specific case that you want to review and then look for case documents that have been uploaded to get more details.

This search can show information on any county court in the state; however, sometimes, individuals just need a local criminal record check, and this can be completed at the county courthouse. Each county has a clerk of court who maintains the records for every case within that county (both civil and criminal).

The clerk’s office maintains public terminals that anyone can use to look up cases at that courthouse.

The table below lists the address and contact number for each clerk of court in Mississippi:

County	County Courthouse Address	Phone Number
Adams County Clerk of Court	115 S Wall Street Natchez, Mississippi 39121-1224	601-446-6326
Alcorn County Clerk of Court	POB 430 Corinth, Mississippi 38835	662-286-7740
Amite County Clerk of Court	POB 312 Liberty, Mississippi 39645	601-657-8932
Attala County Clerk of Court	100 Courthouse, Suite 1 Kosciusko, Mississippi 39090	662-289-1471
Benton County Clerk of Court	POB 626 Ashland, Mississippi 38603	662-224-6310
Bolivar County Clerk of Court	POB 670 Cleveland, Mississippi 38732	662-843-2061
Calhoun County Clerk of Court	POB 25 Pittsboro, Mississippi 38951	662-412-3101
Carroll County Clerk of Court	POB 60 Carrollton, Mississippi 38917	662-237-9274
Chickasaw County Clerk of Court	1 Pinson Sq, Rm 2 Houston, Mississippi 38851	662-456-2331
Choctaw County Clerk of Court	POB 34 Ackerman, Mississippi 39735	662-285-6245
Claiborne County Clerk of Court	POB 549 Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150	601-437-5841
Clarke County Clerk of Court	POB 216 Quitman, Mississippi 39355	601-776-3111
Clay County Clerk of Court	POB 364 West Point, Mississippi 39773	662-494-3384
Coahoma County Clerk of Court	POB 849 Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614	662-624-3014
Copia County Clerk of Court	POB 467 Hazlehurst, Mississippi 39083	601-894-1241
Covington County Clerk of Court	POB 667 Collins, Mississippi 39428	601-765-6506
Desoto County Clerk of Court	2535 Highway 51 South, Room 201 Hernando, Mississippi 38632	662-429-1325
Forrest County Clerk of Court	POB 992 Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39403	601-582-3213
Franklin County Clerk of Court	POB 267 Meadville, Mississippi 39653	601-384-2320
George County Clerk of Court	355 Cox Street, Suite C Lucedale, Mississippi 39452	601-947-4881
Greene County Clerk of Court	POB 310 Leakesville, Mississippi 39451	601-394-2379
Grenada County Clerk of Court	POB 1517 Grenada, Mississippi 38902-1517	662-226-1941
Hancock County Clerk of Court	152 Main St, Ste B Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520	228-467-5265
Harrison County Clerk of Court	POB 998 Gulfport, Mississippi 39502	228-865-4051
Hinds County Clerk of Court	POB 327 Jackson, Mississippi 39205	601-968-6628
Holmes County Clerk of Court	POB 718 Lexington, Mississippi 39095	662-834-2476
Humphreys County Clerk of Court	POB 696 Belzoni, Mississippi 39038	662-247-3065
Issaquena County Clerk of Court	POB 27 Mayersville, Mississippi 39113	601-873-2761
Itawamba County Clerk of Court	201 W Main St Fulton, Mississippi 38843	662-862-3511
Jackson County Clerk of Court	POB 998 Pascagoula, Mississippi 39568	228-769-3040
Jasper County Clerk of Court	POB 58 Paulding, Mississippi 39348	601-727-4941
Jefferson County Clerk of Court	POB 305 Fayette, Mississippi 39069	601-786-3422
Jefferson Davis County Clerk of Court	POB 1090 Prentiss, Mississippi 39474	601-792-4231
Jones County Clerk of Court	101 Court St, Ste B Ellisville, Mississippi 39437	601-477-8538
Kemper County Clerk of Court	POB 130 DeKalb, Mississippi 39328	601-743-2224
Lafayette County Clerk of Court	1 Courthouse Sq, Suite 101 Oxford, Mississippi 38655	662-234-4951
Lamar County Clerk of Court	POB 369 Purvis, Mississippi 39475	601-794-8504
Lauderdale County Clerk of Court	POB 1005 Meridian, Mississippi 39302-1005	601-482-9731
Lawrence County Clerk of Court	POB 1249 Monticello, Mississippi 39654	601-587-4791
Leake County Clerk of Court	POB 67 Carthage, Mississippi 39051	601-267-8357
Lee County Clerk of Court	POB 762 Tupelo, Mississippi 38802	662-841-9024
Leflore County Clerk of Court	POB 1953 Greenwood, Mississippi 38935	662-453-1435
Lincoln County Clerk of Court	301 South 1st Street, Rm 205 Brookhaven, Mississippi 39601	601-835-3435
Lowndes County Clerk of Court	POB 31 Columbus, Mississippi 39703	662-329-5900
Madison County Clerk of Court	POB 1626 Canton, Mississippi 39046	601-859-4365
Marion County Clerk of Court	250 Broad St, Ste 1 Columbia, Mississippi 39429	601-736-8246
Marshall County Clerk of Court	POB 459 Holly Springs, Mississippi 38635	662-252-3434
Monroe County Clerk of Court	POB 843 Aberdeen, Mississippi 39730	662-369-8695
Montgomery County Clerk of Court	POB 765 Winona, Mississippi 38967	662-283-4161
Neshoba County Clerk of Court	401 East Beacon Street, Suite 1 Philadelphia, Mississippi 39350	601-656-4781
Newton County Clerk of Court	POB 447 Decatur, Mississippi 39327	601-635-2368
Noxubee County Clerk of Court	505 S Jefferson Macon, Mississippi 39341	662-726-5737
Oktibbeha County Clerk of Court	108 West Main St Starkville, Mississippi 39759	662-323-1356
Panola County Clerk of Court	215 Pocahontas St Sardis, Mississippi 38666	662-487-2073
Pearl River County Clerk of Court	200 S Main St Poplarville, Mississippi 39470	601-403-2300
Perry County Clerk of Court	POB 198 New Augusta, Mississippi 39642	601-964-8663
Pike County Clerk of Court	POB 31 Magnolia, Mississippi 39652	601-783-2581
Potomac County Clerk of Court	POB 428 Potomac, Mississippi 38863	662-489-3908
Prentiss County Clerk of Court	POB 727 Booneville, Mississippi 38829	662-728-4611
Quitman County Clerk of Court	220 Chestnut Street, Suite 4 Marks, Mississippi 38646	662-326-8003
Rankin County Clerk of Court	POB 1599 Brandon, Mississippi 39043	601-825-1466
Scott County Clerk of Court	POB 371 Forest, Mississippi 39074	601-469-3601
Sharkey County Clerk of Court	POB 218 Rolling Fork, Mississippi 39159	601-873-2755
Simpson County Clerk of Court	POB 307 Mendenhall, Mississippi 39114	601-847-2474
Smith County Clerk of Court	POB 517 Raleigh, Mississippi 39153	601-782-4751
Stone County Clerk of Court	323 Cavers Ave Wiggins, Mississippi 39577	601-928-5246
Sunflower County Clerk of Court	POB 880 Indianola, Mississippi 38751	662-887-1252
Tallahatchie County Clerk of Court	POB 86 Charleston, Mississippi 38921	662-647-8758
Tate County Clerk of Court	201 Ward St Senatobia, Mississippi 38868	662-562-5211
Tippah County Clerk of Court	102A N Main Ripley, Mississippi 38663	662-837-7370
Tishomingo County Clerk of Court	1008 Battleground Iuka, Mississippi 38852	662-423-7026
Tunica County Clerk of Court	POB 184 Tunica, Mississippi 38676	662-363-2842
Union County Clerk of Court	POB 289 New Albany, Mississippi 38652	662-534-1910
Walthall County Clerk of Court	200 Ball Ave Tyler, Mississippi 39667	601-876-5677
Warren County Clerk of Court	POB 351 Vicksburg, Mississippi 39181	601-636-3961
Washington County Clerk of Court	POB 1276 Greenville, Mississippi 38702	662-378-2747
Wayne County Clerk of Court	609 Azalea Waynesboro, Mississippi 39367	601-735-1171
Webster County Clerk of Court	POB 308 Walthall, Mississippi 39771	662-258-6287
Wilkinson County Clerk of Court	POB 327 Woodville, Mississippi 39669	601-888-6697
Winston County Clerk of Court	POB 785 Louisville, Mississippi 39339	662-773-3581
Yalobusha County Clerk of Court	POB 260 Coffeeville, Mississippi 38922	662-675-8187
Yazoo County Clerk of Court	POB 108 Yazoo City, Mississippi 39194	662-746-1872

Run a Criminal Record Search in Mississippi Through the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS)

For employment or housing purposes, a person will need an official statewide (or national) criminal background check, and they will need to know how to complete a statewide search for Mississippi criminal records. The official public records repository for the state of Mississippi is the Mississippi Department of Public Safety through its Criminal Information Center (CIC). The applicant processing division provides agencies with a name-based background check including statewide records.

The automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) through the Mississippi Department of Public Safety provides a more detailed, comprehensive background check by linking to the FBI providing a rap sheet showing nationwide criminal history.⁷

How To Get Copies of Your Own Criminal History Report in Mississippi

It is through the Mississippi Department of Public Safety that one would request a statewide criminal history report. To obtain a copy of a background screening, do the following steps:

1. Open the Mississippi Department of Public Safety page.
2. Click the box labeled background check.
3. Read the disclaimer, then click the continue button.
4. Fill in the name-based background check form that appears on the screen and click the continue button again. If the person does not have a criminal history in Mississippi, a message will appear stating no matches could be found.
5. If a match is found, complete the payment information as well as where the record can be sent.

If a person needs a fingerprint-based check, they must have their prints taken at a LiveScan location in the state. LiveScan allows the person to have their prints and information submitted electronically, and the prints are then matched through AFIS to see if there is a match.¹³

A complete background check includes data from arrest to sentencing, including things such as incarceration, probation and parole status.

How To Determine if Someone Is on Probation or Parole in Mississippi

If someone is just curious about who is on probation or parole in their neighborhood, or if a victim wants to know the status of the person who committed a crime against them, they need to know where to find probation or parole information.

To illustrate just how many people are on probation and parole, the following image shows the combined total of probationers and parolees in Mississippi, along with their ethnicities. Furthermore, these totals are also compared to the number of individuals on community supervision (including probation and parole) in other states across the United States.

Probation is sometimes used as an alternative to prison, but it can also be used as a diversionary process to help an offender perform community service or make restitution in exchange for a dismissal at a later date and individuals on community supervision in the state fall under the Department of Corrections.. To complete a probation search for Mississippi, do the following:

1. Open the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) website.
2. Click the inmate search button.
3. Enter the subject’s name and click the search button. If the person has a common name, a number of hits may come up on the screen.
4. For probationers, the search results will show the subject’s location listed as another location or house arrest.

Check out the process for tracking down details of any Mississippi probationer for further guidance.

MDOC also maintains a parolee database that can be searched online. To search for someone on parole in Mississippi, complete the following steps:

1. Open the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) website.
2. Click the button labeled parolee search.
3. Enter the subject’s name and click the search button.
4. A list of records matching that person will populate. For location, it will list the name of the county followed by the letters CC to show community corrections or community supervision. If the person is in violation of parole, the record will show they have absconded supervision.¹⁶

More insight can be found via the instructions for looking up Mississippi parole information.

Probation and parole, along with other criminal convictions, will show up on a person’s record unless they are able to get the matter expunged or sealed.

Steps To Seal or Expunge a Criminal Record in Mississippi (Clearing Your Record)

A criminal record can have a very negative impact on a person’s ability to find housing, get a job or obtain a professional license, and getting the record cleared can be a huge step in the right direction.

The table below outlines the criteria for expungement for felonies and misdemeanors, along with the steps to expunge the matter.

Offense Classification	Eligibility Requirements	Steps To Expunge Record
Misdemeanors	The charge was dismissed, or the defendant was acquitted. The matter was not a traffic offense. It was the person’s first and only offense. If not, the first and only two years have passed since the end of sentencing or dismissal of the case. All fines and fees have been paid in full.	Obtain the necessary court documents, including dismissal, indictment, sentencing or discharge official court records. Complete and submit a petition to the court where the case was docketed or placed on the trial calendar. Submit a copy via mail of the petition and a prepared order to the district attorney in the county where the case originated. Pay any fees at the time of filing. The court will review the matter, and if there is no object, the expungement can be entered without a hearing. If there is an objection, a hearing will be scheduled.
Felonies	The charge resulted in non-conviction Conviction was more than 5 years ago Currently have no other convictions or pending charges. Charges were not for a violent crime, arson, trafficking controlled substances, 3rd or 4th or more DUI, felony possession of a firearm, failure to register as a sex offender, voyeurism, witness intimidation, abuse of vulnerable population or embezzlement.	Obtain the necessary court documents, including dismissal, indictment, sentencing or discharge official court records. Complete and submit a petition to the court where the case was docketed or placed on the trial calendar. Submit a copy via mail of the petition and a prepared order to the district attorney in the county where the case originated. Pay any fees at the time of filing. The court will review the matter, and if there is no object, the expungement can be entered without a hearing. If there is an objection, a hearing will be scheduled.

Expungements can be very complicated, and an attorney may be able to help take the guesswork out of the process. Individuals who cannot afford an attorney may be able to get assistance through the Mississippi Center for Justice, a non-profit law firm that handles expungements of low-income individuals.¹⁸

Mississippi Code 99-19-71(2) (a) made it easier for convicted felons to have a second chance by allowing more leeway in expunging felony cases, and now allows for up to 3 felonies to be expunged from a person’s record.¹⁹

Ways To Locate Federal & State Prisoners in Mississippi

Another thing people like to know is who in their area is in prison, or if someone they know has served time in a Mississippi state prison.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) is responsible for the housing and rehabilitation of offenders who have been ordered to an active prison sentence following conviction for an offense or series of offenses.

Searching MDOC records can reveal someone’s criminal record, but only if that person has been sentenced to prison or probation in the state.

The steps to search for an MDOC inmate are the same as those for doing a Mississippi probation search listed above. When conducting a search, instead of listing the location as other or house arrest, the record lists where the person is incarcerated.

MDOC also maintains a mugshot database of prisoners so searchers can make sure the record pulled up matches the subject of the search.

There are also four different federal facilities in Yazoo City, Mississippi, to house those sentenced to prison on the federal level. To search for a federal inmate, do the following:

1. Open the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website.
2. Enter the subject’s first and last name and click the search button. Searchers can also add the person’s race, sex and age if available.
3. Check the search results to see if the subject has been in federal prison at some point or is currently in a federal facility. If the person is currently incarcerated, the search results will indicate where they are being held.

Prison inmate searches show those individuals that have already been through the court process and were found guilty at their hearings, but sometimes people want to know who is wanted by police in their area rather than who has already been sentenced.

How To Check for Arrest Warrants in MS (Wanted Lookup)

Courts issue warrants most warrants pretrial, but a warrant can also be issued after a trial has started if the person fails to appear.

The best place to begin to conduct a warrant search in Mississippi is with the local sheriff’s office or police department. Using the sheriff’s office table earlier in the article, individuals can go to the agency website and look for a warrant list, sometimes called the county’s most wanted list.

For example, if someone wanted to know if they have a warrant out for their arrest in Tunica County, they could do the following search:

1. Google “Mississippi Tunica County warrants.”
2. Find the official state website in the search results and click the link for the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office.²²
3. Select the tab labeled most wanted to see who currently has warrants out for their arrest in that county.²³

The same steps can be used for municipal police departments.

Warrants are the first step in generating arrest records in Mississippi, and it’s important to know if someone is wanted by the police so they can work to turn themselves in safely or so someone can report the location of a wanted person if they know their whereabouts.

Mississippi Background Checks: When Screenings Are Required & Who Does Them

Whether it’s for employment, adoption, working with children, the elderly, or medical licensing, getting a background check done in MS is a straightforward process.

In general, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety performs all background checks for:

• Employment screenings
• Personal background checks
• Licensure screenings
• Name-based and fingerprint-based checks

Individuals can request their own background checks through the MDPS Criminal History page for $50 dollars before the fingerprinting fee. Typically, it’s as easy as getting the fingerprints done at a LiveScan location, filling out the appropriate forms, obtaining a fingerprint card, and mailing it to:

Mississippi State Department of Health
Criminal History Fingerprint Unit
143B LeFleur’s Sq
Jackson, Mississippi, 39211

The documents may also be emailed to CHRUnit@msdh.ms.gov.

Because these types of screenings are being used for official purposes, the agency or company employed to conduct the screening must comply with Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requirements regarding credit history, non-convictions and use of criminal records in addition to state laws.

These regulations do not apply to personal background checks, which cannot be used for official decision making in licensure, employment or housing, and the searcher is also advised the report cannot be used for stalking or harassing the subject.

Agencies that require a background check typically focus on violent offenses that could appear on a felony registry and are automatic disqualifiers for a candidate. Mississippi criminal records can be a huge roadblock in obtaining a professional license, especially if the conviction is for something violent like a sex offense.

A Look at the Mississippi Sex Offender Registry

When someone is buying a new home, one of the selling points may be there are no registered sex offenders living close to the residence. Also, some people are curious about how many registered sex offenders live in their neighborhood.

Mississippi maintains a statewide sex offender registry to allow the public to know who has been convicted of a sex crime and is living in their county. Sex offenders are required to notify the sheriff’s office in their area when they move to that location.

To search the Mississippi sex offender registry, do the following:

1. Open the Public Sex Offender Registry website maintained by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
2. Click the name search tab at the top of the screen and read the disclaimer.
3. Click the button labeled I agree to proceed to the next step.
4. Complete the code to verify the searcher is not a robot.
5. Enter the subject’s last and first name and click the search button.

A list of registered users matching the subject’s name will appear on the screen. The public registry in Mississippi includes a mugshot of the offender to help match the search results with the subject of the search.

Clicking on the person’s name will reveal more details about the offender and the offense including full name, aliases, physical description, gender, race, age and date of birth, conviction date, offense, and location of the offender including the type of vehicle the person drives.²⁴

Searchers can also do a screening based on an address or a county-wide search to see how many registered offenders live in that county by clicking the geographical search button instead of name search.²⁶

There is also a national sex offender registry, the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Registry, which links with all the state registries, giving a central starting point if a person doesn’t know where an offender lives when doing a search.

As with all official state records, publication of Mississippi sex offender registry information must comply with state and federal laws regarding background checks, public records and disclosure of information.

Mississippi Laws Governing Criminal & Arrest Records

Currently Mississippi does not have a ban-the-box statute prohibiting employers from asking about a person’s criminal record on an application meaning that applicants must rely on federal statutes for the majority of protections when it comes to background checks. This means employers can consider criminal records at any stage of the hiring process.

The state’s expungement statute, 99-19-71(2) (a), has helped level the playing field for those convicted of eligible felonies or misdemeanors in the state by allowing offenders to petition the courts for relief. If expungement is granted, these items can no longer appear on a background check in the state.²¹

Federal statutes that provide protections to applicants include anti-discrimination laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which protects applicants from discrimination based on sex, gender, age, race or other protected classes. This is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which also provides employers with guidance on using criminal or arrest records in Mississippi in making hiring decisions.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act prohibits background checks from showing non-convictions that are more than 7 years old on a Mississippi criminal record check, and it also limits the lookback period to 7 years for credit reports (10 for bankruptcies). FCRA guidance also requires written notice if negative action is taken against a person based on the background check.

Searching arrest records in Mississippi is easy using this guide to understand the steps to take at each agency that creates and stores criminal records. It also provides the information needed to make an informed decision when reviewing Mississippi criminal records as part of the employment or housing screening process.